Buxton, Julia (2001) The Failure of Political Reform in Venezuela, Aldershot, England: Ashgate

A political science book about how the president just before Chavez, Rafael Caldera, failed to deal with the country's crisis and how one of the country's main left parties, La Causa R tried to address this crisis. Good reference for understanding the dynamics at work that lead to people to vote for Chavez.

One of the most in-depth analyses of the Chavez Era, up until 2002. Very good for understanding many of the developments in a wide variety of areas, such as the Bolivarian movement, the economy, labor, oil, state reform, civil society, etc.

Actually, Steve Ellner edited two consecutive volumes of Latin American Perspectives on the "Venezuelan Exceptionalism Thesis." These are particularly important for understanding the pre-Chavez era and its dynamics.

A collection of interviews with activists from across Venezuela's social movements, including community media, land reform, cooperatives, communal councils, labor, and the Afro-Venezuelan network. Sheds light on the complex realities within the Bolivarian Revolution, and breaks from the Chavez-dominated coverage of the international media.

Gott, Richard (2000) In the Shadow of the Liberator, later renamed: Hugo Chavez and the Bolivarian Revolution for the expanded 2005 edition. London: Verso Books

One of the basic texts for learning about Chavez and the Bolivarian Revolution, from a pro-Chavez perspective. It is an easy read and provides information on all the main points about what is happening in Venezuela today.

A book-length interview with Chavez shortly alter the April 2002 coup attempt. Very important for making sense of some of the events early in Chavez's presidency. Translated from Spanish (see below) by Chesa Boudin.

The most in-depth biography available of Chavez, written by a former AP correspondent, who takes a rather sympathetic view of the controversial president. Has received numerous positive reviews.

Karl, Terry Lynn (1997) The Paradox of Plenty, Berkeley: University of California Press

In my opinion, this is one of the single most important books for understanding Venezuela's economy and politics in the pre-Chavez years. It clearly shows how oil has been both a blessing and a curse for Venezuela.

Kozloff, Nikolas (2006) Hugo Chávez: Oil, Politics, and the Challenge to the U.S. New York: Palgrave Macmillan

A pro-Chavez account of the relationship between Venezuela and the U.S. Rather than emphasizing the Bush administration's efforts to destabilize Venezuela, as Golinger's book does, this one reflects more on the overt politics between the two countries and the importance that oil has for both.

Marcano, Cristina and Alberto Barrera Tyszka (2007) Hugo Chavez: The Definitive Biography of Venezuela's Controversial President New York: Random House

A biography of Chávez by two Venezuelan writers, written from a more critical and psychologizing perspective than Bart Jones's biography.

A brief introduction into Chavez-era Venezuela from a mostly pro-Chavez point-of-view. I hesitate to include this book, though, because in an earlier edition (published by the Latin America Bureau, London) the author copied entire pages from my New Left Review article on Venezuela. The Seven Stories Press edition thankfully deleted the copied sections. Also, the book is quite superficial, contains many minor errors, and concludes by recommending that Chavez resign before completing his first full term in office.

Lebowitz, Michael (2006) Build it Now: Socialism for the 21st Century New York: Monthly Review Press

One of the main books for interpreting the socialist nature of the Chavez government (the other two being D.L. Raby's and Gregory Wilpert's). While it is not just about Venezuela, Venezuela is its main focus.

McCoy, Jennifer and David Myers (eds.) (2004) The Unraveling of Representative Democracy in Venezuela, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press

A rather opposition-oriented political science analysis of the pre-Chavez and early Chavez years, by the Carter Center's main representative in Venezuela in the period leading up to the 2004 recall referendum.

This is my terribly delayed analysis of the policies of the Chavez presidency (1999-2006). Its emphasis is on why socialism became an option at this particular point in time and to what extent the government's policies can be considered socialist and what we might learn from this experience. Essential reading :-).

Spanish:

An extensive (400pp+) series of interviews with Hugo Chavez before he became president. At the time, the interviewer, Blanco Muñoz, seemed to sympathize with Chavez. In the meantime, he has become an outspoken oppositionist.

A nice summary of limitations on freedom of the press during Venezuela's "democratic period." Points out how press freedom was actually quite limited before Chavez came into office and how much freer it is now.

Important background information on some of the main personalities behind Chavez's Bolivarian movement. Many of these have since joined the opposition, in many cases because Chavez became too "leftist" for them. In many others they claim he has become too corrupt and drunk with power.

A series of interviews with key military leaders, who were instrumental in defeating the April 2002 coup attempt. Important for understanding why there is a movement of progressives in Venezuela's military and what they are thinking and why they support Chavez.

Perhaps one of the most complete accounts of the April 2002 coup attempt. It leaves out key information that implicated the opposition, though, and thus leads to a distorted and "balanced" view in which no one seems guilty of anything.